The Safeguarding Benefits for Americans Act of 2026 restricts federal assistance benefits to individuals who can verify U.S. citizenship or nationality. Under the bill, anyone applying for or currently receiving federal benefits—including Social Security, Medicaid, housing assistance, and other income-based programs—must provide written attestation of citizenship under penalty of perjury and submit documentary proof (such as a birth certificate or passport) along with their Social Security number. The bill requires federal agencies to verify citizenship information through the Social Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security, and the SAVE immigration verification system. The law takes effect one year after enactment for new benefit determinations, with a two-year deadline for current recipients to comply or lose eligibility. The bill also allows the Office of Management and Budget to disqualify agencies or contractors that willfully fail to enforce these requirements, and it provides individuals the right to appeal eligibility denials.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.